Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 7 March 2023.
Well, Llywydd, I thank Vikki Howells for that question, and for drawing attention to that very important development in the RCT area. And, Llywydd, it's a genuine example, I think, of the social partnership approach in Wales in action. The three buildings that are to be used were first identified by the local authority. They drew them to the attention of the health board. The health board had negotiations with the current private sector occupant of the buildings. The health board then involved itself in discussions with the wider south-east Wales health community, and the financial help to acquire the buildings was provided through the Welsh Government. So, there you have local government, the health service, the private sector and the Welsh Government all collectively involved in bringing about a development that, as Vikki Howells said, will lead to significant new capacity for residents in this part of Wales.
In terms of timescales, it's important to remember that the building is still occupied by its current owner, but there will be a period over the next 12 months in which they bring their use of the building to an end, and diagnostic capacity, which will be the first phase of the new development, will be worked up by the health board, its partners, including the Welsh Government, and that will be the first phase in the next calendar year. And then, once that is developed, there will be physical space at the buildings to have dedicated elective capacity, with a particular focus on orthopaedic care, which will, as Vikki Howells said, Llywydd, make an important difference to patients in that part of Wales, in accelerating their access to treatment. And the Welsh Government will be there not just with the financial help we've offered so far, but, as I said in my original answer, by making sure that the health board has access to those national programmes, those national clinical leads, which will help to make sure that the most advantage can be derived from this new development.